Zipper seal packages with seals with shaped pattern

ABSTRACT

Reclosable packages include an impressed pattern which is impinged against by the slider. This creates an aesthetically pleasing appearance. This further creates an aesthetically pleasing sound and corresponding tactile sensation when the slider is moved. This sound can be enhanced by providing internal protuberances to the slider. When a string zipper or similar zipper is used, the web to zipper seal line can include the impressed pattern. However, when a flanged zipper is used, the impressed pattern and the web to flange seal lines are formed in different locations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of using seal bars with apattern of hills and valleys in order to create a corresponding patternin the seal lines along the base of the interlocking zipper element andthe web of a reclosable package. This results in a clicking or similarsound when the slider is moved. This sound can be enhanced by bars orsimilar protrusions on the inside of the slider to contact theundulating seal lines. The present invention further relates to thereclosable package manufactured by this method.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the prior art, form fill seal (FFS) methods and apparatus are welldeveloped. Likewise the packages, particular reclosable packages, formedby these methods and apparatus are well developed. However, furtherimprovements in the tactile and visual aesthetics of reclosable bags,which are consumer products, are always sought. In particular,improvements in the tactile aesthetics of a slider are sought.

Prior art in this area includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,260 entitled“Flexible Storage Bag with Audible Closure Indicator” issued on Jul. 15,2003 to Randall et.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,145 entitled “Adhesive Closurefor Flexible Bag” issued on Nov. 3, 1998 to Dais et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,722,128 entitled “Fastener Assembly with Slider Providing Tactileand/or Audible Feedback” issued on Mar. 3, 1998 to Toney et al.; U.S.Pat. No. 5,152,613 entitled “Plastic Film Zipper Bag Having StraightenedHeat Seals” issued on Oct. 6, 1992 to Herrington, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No.4,479,244 entitled “Easy Opening Bag” issued on Oct. 23, 1984 to Ausnit;U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0086604, entitled “Package HavingRecorded Audio Pattern”, published on May 6, 2004 for Grandey; and U.S.Patent Publication No. 2002/0153273 entitled “Flexible Package withAudio Tract”, published on Oct. 24, 2002 for Mallik et al.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide adecorative pattern on the seal lines of a reclosable package,particularly reclosable packages manufactured by form fill seal methods.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide areclosable package wherein aesthetically pleasing sounds are generatedas the slider is moved.

These and other objects are attained by providing a seal bar at thelocation opposite the base of the interlocking elements for sealing thezipper to the web or film walls of a reclosable package, wherein theseal bar contains hills and valleys or a similar undulated pattern. Thisresults in the pattern being transferred to the seal line on the wallsof the reclosable package. This pattern provides a pleasing visualappearance. Additionally, the impinging of a moving slider against thepattern on the seal line can cause an aesthetically pleasing sound. Thissound can be enhanced by adding bars or similar protuberances within theinterior of the slider.

The patterned impressions are formed on the base of the interlockingelements, whether a string zipper or a flange zipper. In the case of aflanged zipper, the pattern is transferred only to the base of theinterlocking elements and typically not the walls of the film.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and from the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of seal bars sealing a string zipper tothe film of a reclosable package.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the seal bars sealing a string zipper to thefilm of a reclosable package, each seal bar illustrating a differentpossible pattern which could be on the seal bars.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of a reclosable package produced by the sealbars.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along plane 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing theinternal protuberances in the slider which impinge against the undulatedor patterned seal lines.

FIG. 5 shows a rotating seal wheel with a pattern formed on the sealingsurface thereof.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a seal bar which seals the flanges of aflanged zipper to the web and forms a patterned impression on theinterlocking elements of the zipper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicatelike elements throughout the several views, one sees that FIG. 1 is across-sectional view of shaped seal bars 10, 12 sealing the base offirst and second interlocking profiles 102, 104 of string zipper 100 tofirst and second sheets of polymer web or film 200, 202 thereby formingthe patterned seal lines 302 as shown in FIG. 3. String zipper 100includes first and second interlocking profiles 102, 104 as iswell-known in the prior art. Those skilled in the art will recognizethat other zippers can be substituted for string zipper 100, such as aflanged zipper 150 as illustrated in FIG. 6. First and second sheets ofweb 200, 202 can be formed from a single sheet of web or can beindividual sheets of web which are sealed together in order to form thereclosable package 300 of FIG. 3.

Shaped seal bars 10, 12 have undulating patterns which can be shaped asripples, hills and valleys, waves or virtually any pattern, including arandom pattern. In FIG. 2, sealing bar 10 is illustrated as having atoothed pattern while sealing bar 12 is illustrated as having a wavepattern. In practice, the patterns of shaped seal bars 10, 12 aretypically matched to each other.

As shown in FIG. 3, zipper 100 includes slider 106 which separatesinterlocking profiles 102, 104 when moved in an opening direction andwhich joins or interlocks interlocking profiles when moved in a closingdirection, as known in the prior art. Additionally, slider 106 isarranged to have side walls 108, 110 impinge against patterned seallines 302 as shown in FIG. 3. This impinging against the pattern seallines 302 causes a clicking or similar audible sound, and correspondingtactile sensation, as slider 106 is moved in either the openingdirection or the closing direction. This clicking or similar noise canbe enhanced by internal protuberances such as bars 112 as shown in thecross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, a rotating seal wheel 20 can besubstituted for the shaped seal bars 10, 12. Rotating seal wheel 20includes peripheral patterned surface 22 which is similar to the patternon shaped seal bars 10, 12 in order to generate a similar patterned sealline 302.

A possible alternative embodiment forms the seal lines with a set ofshaped seal bars or seal wheels and thereafter forms the impressedpattern with a separate set of forming bars or seal wheels.

FIG. 6 shows a flanged zipper 150 with first and second interlockingprofiles 152, 154 and respective first and second flanges 156, 158 andfirst and second interlocking elements 160, 162. Seal bar 50 includeslower extended sealing arm 52 which includes a sealing surface 54 at theend thereof to seal sheet of web 200 to first flange 156 and furtherincludes upper arm 56 which includes patterned end surface 58 forimpressing a corresponding patterned line 304 on the base of firstinterlocking element 160. A second sealing bar (not shown) opposingfirst seal bar 50 is also provided to seal second sheet of web 202 tosecond flange 158 and to form a patterned line (not shown, but typicallysubstantially identical to patterned line 304) on the base of secondinterlocking element 162. Patterned lines 304 on first and secondinterlocking elements 160, 162 are impinged against by the walls of aslider (not shown, but see slider 102 of FIG. 3) so as to produceaudible sounds and corresponding tactile sensations similar to thoseproduced by the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 when the slider is moved.

Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are mosteffectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the inventionhave been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should beunderstood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and itsscope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

1. A reclosable package including: first and second walls; a stringzipper with first and second interlocking profiles, the firstinterlocking profile being joined to the first wall and the secondinterlocking profile being joined to the second wall in order to form areclosable opening in the package; a slider on the zipper, wherein whenthe slider is moved in a first direction, the first interlocking profileand the second interlocking profile interlock with each other and whenthe slider is moved in a second direction, the first interlockingprofile and the second interlocking profile are separated from eachother; and at least one patterned line, formed on the first walladjacent to the first interlocking profile, against which the sliderimpinges, whereby when the slider is moved, audible sounds aregenerated.
 2. The reclosable package of claim 1 further including afirst seal line between the first wall and the first interlockingprofile and a second seal line between the second wall and theinterlocking profile and wherein the at least one patterned line isformed on at least one of the first and second seal lines.
 3. Thereclosable package of claim 2 wherein the at least one patterned lineincludes a first patterned line formed on the first seal line and the asecond patterned line formed on the second seal line.
 4. The reclosablepackage of claim 3 wherein the slider includes internal protuberancesimpinging against the first and second patterned lines.
 5. Thereclosable package of claim 4 wherein the slider includes side wallsupon which the protuberances are formed.
 6. The reclosable package ofclaim 1 wherein a pattern of the patterned lines is chosen from thegroup consisting of a toothed pattern, an undulating pattern and a hilland valley pattern.
 7. The reclosable package of claim 3 wherein thefirst and second patterned lines are formed as the first and second seallines by seal bars including sealing surfaces with a correspondingpattern.
 8. The reclosable package of claim 7 wherein the seal barscomprise a set of first and second opposed seal bars.
 9. The reclosablepackage of claim 3 wherein the first and second patterned lines areformed as the first and second seal lines by a seal wheel including asealing surface with a corresponding pattern.
 10. The reclosable packageof claim 9 wherein the sealing surface of the seal wheel is on theperiphery of the seal wheel.
 11. A reclosable package including: firstand second walls; a zipper including a first interlocking profile and asecond interlocking profile, the first interlocking profile including afirst interlocking element and a first flange and the secondinterlocking profile including a second interlocking element and asecond flange, the first flange being joined to the first wall and thesecond flange being joined to the second wall in order to form areclosable opening in the package; a slider on the zipper, wherein whenthe slider is moved in a first direction, the first interlocking elementand the second interlocking element interlock with each other and whenthe slider is moved in a second direction, the first interlockingelement and the second interlocking element are separated from eachother; and at least one patterned line, formed on at least the firstinterlocking element, against which the slider impinges, whereby whenthe slider is moved, audible sounds are generated.
 12. The reclosablepackage of claim 11 further including a first seal line between thefirst wall and the first flange and a second seal line between thesecond wall and the second flange and wherein the at least one patternedline is formed simultaneously with at least one of the first and secondseal lines.
 13. The reclosable package of claim 12 wherein the at leastone patterned line includes a first patterned line formed on the firstinterlocking element and the a second patterned line formed on thesecond interlocking element.
 14. The reclosable package of claim 13wherein the slider includes internal protuberances impinging against thefirst and second patterned lines.
 15. The reclosable package of claim 14wherein the slider includes side walls upon which the protuberances areformed.
 16. The reclosable package of claim 11 wherein a pattern of thepatterned lines is chosen from the group consisting of a toothedpattern, an undulating pattern and a hill and valley pattern.
 17. Thereclosable package of claim 13 wherein the first and second patternedlines are formed by a first portion of a set of seal bars and the firstand second seal lines are formed by a second portion of a set of sealbars.
 18. The reclosable package of claim 17 wherein the set of sealbars comprises first and second opposed seal bars.
 19. The reclosablepackage of claim 13 wherein the first and second patterned lines areformed by a seal wheel including a sealing surface with a correspondingpattern.
 20. The reclosable package of claim 19 wherein the sealingsurface of the seal wheel is on the periphery of the seal wheel.